The World Turned Upside Down, or Heaven on Earth

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THE

WORLD TURNED UPSIDE DOWN,

HEAYEN ON EARTH.

TIIE MATERIAL UNIVERSE IS ETERNAL. — IMMORTAL MAN

HA3 FLESH AND BONES. — EARTH IS HIS EVERLASTING

INHERITANCE. — TO THIS BEAR ALL THE

PROPHETS AND APOSTLES WITNESS.

THB PHYSICAL WORLDS WERE NOT FORMED FOR ANKIHIL A TIOIT, BUT FOR THK
PLBASURE OF GOD THEY ARE AMD WERE CREATED.

BY P. P. PRATT.

JpffBLlSIIED AT THE MILLENNIAL STAR OFFICE, 36, CHAPEL-
STREET, LIVERPOOL, AND SOLD BY THE BOOKSELLERS.

PRLf TED BY JAMES AND WOODBURJf, 14, HAK0VER-8TREBT

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PREFACE.

"We do not enter upon this boundless subject as a
matter of speculative philosophy, calculated in its nature
merely to charm the imagination, to interest the curious, or
to please the learned. So far from this, we consider it a
subject of deep and thrilling interest to all the human
family. All are journeying swiftly through time, and are
bound to eternity ; all are lovers of life and happiness ; all
are looking forward with inexpressible anxiety to the unex-
plored regions of futurity.

The Jew, in view of death and eternity, is comforted with
the expectation of rising from the dead, with all the chosen
race — of being clothed again with flesh, and restored again
to that land which was given to them and their fathers, for
-an everlasting inheritance ; while David takes his seat in
the holy city, and reigns over the twelve tribes for ever
and ever.

^Many modern Christians, in view of hereafter, comfort
themselves with the hope of a spiritual existence in a world
fai?" distant from their native earth, and far beyond the
bounds of time and space — where spirits mingle in eternal,
joy and everlasting song. And, although the body should
rise from the dead, yet they suppose that the whole will be-
come spirit unconnected with matter, and soar away to
worlds on high, free from all the elements of which their
nature was composed in this life ; and thus enjoy eternal
life and happiness, while matter,

Animate and inanimate shall cease to be,
Nor place be found for heaven, earth, or sea.

Or, in the language of a modern Christian poet, —

" Where is heaven ? Beyond all space,
The distance mind can never trace."

The Mahometan, in turn, looks for a paradise of sensual
pleasures ; where, with all his faithful friends, he expects to
^ basl for ever in all the enjoyments of sensuality. He dreams
ftr^es loaded with delicious fruits, and bending their
p^ffiijta? -invitingly to his appetite ; of gardens and plea-
sure grounds, adorned with pleasant walks ; with cooling
~J. hades, and blooming sweets which perfume the air; and
surrounded with fields of spices more delicious than all the
productions of Arabia ; while his golden palaces and serag-
lios are thronged with myriads of delightful virgins, more
pure and beautiful than the fairest daughters of Circassia.
^'ith these he hopes to spend a life of pleasure for evermore.
The Pagan, too, in turn, when bowed down with grief
A

IV

and sorrow, finds some relief in anticipation of a future ex-
istence — some shady forest filled with game, some delightful
prairie of blooming flowers, " some humble heaven behind
the cloud-topped hill," where he hopes to join his wife and
children, his brothers and his fathers ; and in their society
to spend a peaceful eternity, in all the enjoyments of
domestic life, while his faithful horse and dog shall hoar
him company.

These are the hopes and anticipations which serve to dry
his tears, to calm his heaving bosom, and to his iroublvd
spirit whisper peace.

' How desirable, then, is a just and correct knowledge on
this all important subject ! Who does not desire to become
acquainted, as far as possible, with the nature of that eternal
state of existence to which we are all hastening?
1 We are dependent alone on the light of revelation and
reason,for any- just and correct information on this subject

The sacred volume opens with a paradise en earth; fl I
tree of life was growing in the midst — man was immortal,
and creation very good.

Adam fell. '- u Sin entered into the world, and deatJfo,v
tin."

' " All creation groan eth and travelleth in pain together^,
waiting for the adoption, to-wit, the

THE KEDEMPTION OF THE BODY."

'-' Christ came to destroy him who had the power, of.
death — that is, the devil ; and to deliver those who, throiiglt
fear of death, were all their lifetime subject to bondage."

" As in Adam all die; even so in Christ shall all be made
alive." ~

Isaiah and David promise a renewal of the earth. Christ
has said, the meek shall inherit it. John closes the volume,
bjs leaving immortal man in possession of it, as an eternal
inheritance, while the paradise of God and the tr.ee of life -

are in the midst, as at the beginning, and man has free access,
thereunto.

Thus, creation is to be restored, death de£ti.>vjedyw&^L
immortalised, earth renewed, and paradise returned, thVougH
the mediation of the Son of God. \

, To examine the original creation — the fall of man, the
effects of sin, the nature and object of redemption, and the'
final restoration of all things spoken of by the prophets ;
with the circumstances, time, manner, andS^eans of this,
restoration, and its happy effects upon the pfrj-^caJ -*m
moral world is the design of the following treatise.

THE AUTHOR.

HEAVEN ON EARTH.

Matter and Spirit are the two great principles of all exist-
ence. Every thing animate and inanimate is composed of
one or the other, or both of these eternal principles I say
eternal, because the elements are as durable as the quicken-
ing power which exists in them. Matter and spirit are of
equal duration ; both are self-existent, — they never began to
exist, and they never can be annihilated.

From the Mosaic account of the creation, many have
gathered the idea that God created all tilings out of non-
entity, — that solid matter sprung from nothing. But this is
for want of reflection, or an exercise of reason on the
subject; for instance, when a child inqrures of its father,
saying, father, who made this house ? the father replies, the
carpenter made it. Again, the child inquires, who made
me? the father replies, the Lord made vot. A<->-»in. the
child inquires, who made the earth? the facher replies. tl*s
Lord made the earth, and all things upon t%e face <.
Now the child might suppose that the carpentjr created the
house without any materials; that he brought it into
existence from nothing ; and so with equal propriety, He
might suppose that he was formed from nothing ; when in
fact he was formed of materials which grew out of the earth.
And with the same degree of impropriety we might suppose
that God made the earth from nothing, when in fact he made
it out of self-existing element.

It it' impossible for a mechanic to make any thing what-
ever v it'uout materials. So it is equally impossible for God^
t<»-Hri:ig forth matter from nonentity, or to originate ele-'
ofh nothing, because this would contradict the law of
1,-uth, ...id destroy himself. "We might as well say, that
i „ God can add two and three together, and the product will
be twelve ; or that he can subtract five from ten and leave
fight, as to say that he can originate matter from nonentity ;
-because these are principles of eternal truth, they are laws
which cannot be broken, that two and three are five, that
five from. ten leaves five, and that nought from nought leaves
' nought \ and a hundred noughts added together is nothing
• A 2 '

still. In all these, the product is determined by unchange-
able laws, whether the reckoning be calculated by the Al-
mighty, or by man, the result is precisely the same.

Here then, is demonstration that it is not in the power of
any being to originate matter. Hence we conclude that
matter as well as spirit is eternal, uncreated, self-existing.
However infinite the variety of its changes, forms and
shapes ; — however vast and varying the parts it has to act
in the great theatre of the universe ; — whatever sphere its
several part;; riiay be destined to fill in the boundless orga-
nization of infinite wisdom, yet it is there, durable as the
throne of Jehovah. And Eternity is inscribed in indelible
characters on every particle. Revolution may succeed re-
volution, — vegetation may bloom and flourish, and fall again
to decay in the revolving seasons — generation upon genera-
tion may pass away and others still succeed — empires may fall
to ruin, and moulder to the dust and be forgotten, the marble
monuments of antiquity may crumble to atoms and mingle
in the common ruin — the mightiest works of art, with all
their glory, may sink in oblivion and be remembered no
more — worlds may startle from their orbits, and hurling
from their spheres, run lawless on each other in inconceivable
confusion — element may war with element in awful majesty,
while thunders roll from sky to sky, and arrows of lightning
break the mountains asunder — scatter the rocks like hail-
ftioues — Set worlds on fire, and melt the elements with
fer ,vnt heat, and yet not one grain can be lost — not one
particle can be annihilated. All these revolutions and con-
vulsions of nature will only serve to refine, purify, and
finally restore and renew the elements upon which they act.
And like the sunshine after a storm, or like gold seven times
tried in the fire, they will shine forth with additional lustre as
they roll in their eternal spheres, in their glory, in the midst
of the power of God.

When in the progress of the endless woi ks of Deity, the
full time had arrived for infinite wisdom to organize this
sphere, and its attendant worlds, and to set them in *« """"•
in their order amid the vast machinery of the univw. „<_. -
when first the morning stars sang together, and all the sons
of God shouted for joy, at the grand occasion of the acqui-
sition of a new system to the boundless variety of his works,
all was pronounced very good.

The Waters obedient to his word, retired within their
respective limits, and filled with the quickening, or life-
giving principle, which we call spirit, they produced living
creatures in abundance, and very soon the vast deep was

found teeming with animal life in countless variety, and
in regular gradation, from the monster Leviathan to the
minutest speck which is only to be discerned by the aid of
powerful glasses. The air swarmed with an almost infinite
variety of animal life, from the lofty and aspiring eagle
which soars on high, and seems to dip his wing in ether blue,
to the humming bird which darts from flower to flower, and
hides itself amid the blooming sweets of spring ; or descending
still, to the puny nations of insects which swarm in clouds
of blue on the summer breath of morn : all, all the air seemed
life and happiness.

The Dry Land, organized in its own proper sphere,
presented a surface every where well watered, abounding in
springs, streams and rivulets, and uninterrupted by any
of the rough, broken, rugged deformities which now pre-
sent themselves on every side. Its surface was smooth, or
gently undulating, and delightfully varied. Its soil enriched
by the dew of heaven, and impregnated with the spirit of
animal and vegetable life, soon powered forth a luxuriant
growth, not of noxious weeds, and thorns and thistles, but
of fruit trees, and herbs, all useful for the food of man or
animal, fowl or creeping thing. And soon, too, it brought
forth from its bosom every varied species of animal race,
from the ponderous mammoth or the mighty elephant, down
to the smallest creeping thing that specks the surface of the
rock, or mantles the standing pool with varied life. .

Its Climate, free alike from the noxious vapours and
melting heats of the torrid zone, and the chilling blasts of
the polar regions, was delightfully varied by the moderate
changes of heat and cold which only tended to crown the
varied year with the greater variety of productions. Streams
of life, and odours of healthful sweets came floating on every
breeze. Thus earth, so lately a vast scene of emptiness and
desolation, burst from its solitude arrayed in its robes of
splendour ; and where silence had reigned through the vast
expanse, innumerable sounds now reverberated on the air,
, and melting strains of music re-echoing in the distant groves,
^■>!eyupon the ears of admiring angels, and proclaimed the
gladsome news of a new world of animated life and joy.

Thus all was prepared and finished, and creation complete.
All save the great masterpiece, the head and governor, who
was destined to rule or preside over this new kingdom.
This personage, designed as the noblest of all the works of
Deity, was formed of earth by the immediate hand of God,
being fashioned in the express likeness and image of the
Father and the Son, while the breath of the Almighty breath-

ed into hia nostrils, — quickened him with life and animation.
Thus formed of noble principles, and bearing in his godlike
features the emblems of authority and dominion, he was
placed on the throne of power, in the midst of the paradise
of God, and to him was committed power, and glory, and
dominion, and the kingdom, and the greatness of the king-
dom under the whole heaven. From the bosom of this
noble being, or rather from his side emanated woman.
Being composed or fashioned from his bone and from his
flesh, and undergoing another process of refinement in her
formation, she became more exquisitely fine, beautiful and
delightsome ; combining in her person and features the noble
and majestic expression of manhood, with the soft and gen-
tle, the modest and retiring graces of angelic sweetness and
purity, as if destined to grace the dignity of manhood, — to
heighten the charms of domestic life, — to delight the heart
of her lord, and to share with him the enjoyments of life, as
well as to nourish and sustain the embryo, and rear the
tender offspring of her species, and thus fill the earth with
myriads of happy and intelligent beings. O reader, con-
template with me the beauty, the glory, the excellence, the
perfection of the works of creation as they rolled from the
hand of omnipotent power and wisdom, and were pronounced
good — very good, by him whose hand had formed them, and
whose eye surveyed them at a single glance. Tell me, O
man, which of all these works was formed for decay ? and
which in themselves possessed the seeds of mortality, the
principles of dissolution and destruction? Tell me, was
there any curse, or poison, or death inherent in or appertain-
ing to any department of existing matter ? Tell me, were
any of these works so calculated in their physical construc-
tion as to be incapable of eternal duration ? Was there any
death, or sorrow, pain or sickness, sighing, groaning, tears
or weeping ? Was there any thing to hurt or destroy in all
the holy mountain ? The answer to all these questions is
plain, positive and definite, if the sacred writings may be
relied on as decisive evidence. We are informed in scrip-
ture that sin entered into the world, and Death hv ti»
That loj one man came death, and that the devil ha3 uie
power of death. We are also informed that the ground was
cursed for man's sake, and its productions materially changed.
In short, the great head and ruler, with his fair consort were
subjected to many curses and troubles while in life, and with
them all the productions of the animal and vegetable king-
doms, together with the earth itself were subjected to the
dominion of the curse. Thus creation felt the blow to its nt-

most verge, and has groaned in pain for deliverance until now.
From all these declarations of holy writ, and from many
other proofs which might be easily adduced, we feel ourselves
safe in saying that Sin is the sole cause of decay or death.
If there had been no sin, there would have been no death,
no dissolution, no disorganization, no decay, no sorrow and
groaning, tears or weeping ; neither would there have been
any pain, but creation would have continued in the same
state to an endless duration.

O sin, what hast thou done ! Thou hast hurled man from
his blissful domain, and hast reduced him from a throne of
power and dominion to a state of servitude, where sunk in
sorrow and misery he groans out a wretched existence, which
terminates in painful dissolution, and he mingles with his
mother earth and is forgotten and lost amid the general ruin.

Thou hast converted a garden of delicious fruits and
blooming flowers into a gloomy forest of thorns and thistles.
Thou hast transformed a world of life, joy and happiness
into the abodes of wretchedness and misery, where sighing,
groaning, tears and weeping are mingled in almost every
cup. By thee the earth has been filled with violence and:
oppression ; and man, moved by hatred, envy, avarice, or
ambition, has often embrued his hands in the blood of his
fellow man, by which the fairest portions of the earth have-
been made desolate,— the abodes of domestic happiness turned,
to sorrow and loneliness, — the happy wife and tender off-
spring have become widows and orphans — the bride has been
left to mourn in irretrievable anguish, and the virgin to. drop
a silent tear over the ruined fragments of departed loveli-
ness. By thee the world has been deluged with a flood of
waters, and unnumbered millions swept at once from the
stage of action and mingled in the common ruin, unwept
and unlamented save by the tears of heaven, or by the eight
solitary inhabitants of the ark who alone escaped to tell the
news. By thy ravages empires have fallen to ruin, and
cities become heaps. The fruitful plains of Shinar, and the
splendid palaces of Babylon have been doomed to perpetual
waste and irretrievable desolation, never to be inhabited ;
not even as a temporary residence for the wandering Arab.
(And the Arabian shall not pitch tent there. See Isaiah
xiii. 20.) By thee the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah, and
the flourishing country about them, once extremely fertile,
and watered as the garden of Eden, have been desolated by
fire, and perhaps overwhelmed by a sea of stagnant waters.
By thee the land of Edom, once a flourishing empire, pos-
sessing a productive and well cultivated soil, and'every

10

where adorned with flourishing villages, and splendid cities,
has become desolate, without inhabitants ; and the Lord has
cast upon it the stones of emptiness, and the line of confu-
sion. It has lain waste from generation to generation, as a
haunt for wild beasts of the desert, a court for owls, and a
place for ; the cormorant and bittern. On account of thee,
the city of Jerusalem has long lain in ruins, the land of
Judea is desolate, and their holy and beautiful house where
their fathers praised Jehovah is burned with fire ; while the
Jews have long remained in exile among the nations, in ful-
filment of that awful imprecation, " his blood be upon us
and our children." By thy power the once mighty empires
of Greece and Rome have been shaken to the centre, and
have fallen to rise no more ; and before thy desolating blast,
almost innumerable provinces lay in ruin. The waste
deserts of burning sand — the sunken and stagnant lakes
and miry swamps — the innumerable rocky, barren, and
mountainous steeps — the desolate and dreary wastes of the
polar regions — these all present but so many monuments to
thy memory — they speak in language not to be misunder-
stood, that sin has been there, with its dreadful train of
curses, under which they groan in pain to be delivered.

The solid rocks have burst asunder at thy withering
touch ; they have been rent in twain, and hurled from their
firm foundations by thy mighty power ; and they lay scat-
tered in broken fragments and ruined heaps as monuments
of agonizing nature; and as a testimony of the heaving
sighs, the convulsive quakings, and dreadful groanings of
the earth itself, while by wicked hands the great Messiah
was slain. And what shall I say more ? for the time would
fail me to innumerate the evils of intemperance, dissipation,
debauchery, pride, luxury, idleness, extravagance, avarice
and ambition, hatred and envy, priestcraft and persecution,
with all their attendant train of troubles, miseries, pains,
diseases, and deaths ; which have all contributed to reduce
mankind to a state of wretchedness and sorrow indescrib-
able. . The noble and majestic features of manhood have
often been transformed by these vices into the frightful and
disgusting image of demoniac furies — the angelic beauties
of earth's fairest daughters as often transformed by vice into
objects of mingled pity and contempt : but cease my soul,
no longer dwell on these awful scenes ; my heart is faint,
my soul is sick, my spirit grieves within me ; and mine eyes
are suffused with tears while contemplating upon the scenes
of wretchedness and misery which sin has produced • in our
world. misery, how hast thou triumphed ! death,

11

how many are thy victories ! Thrones and dominions — prin-
cipalities and powers — kingdoms and empires have sunk
beneath thine all conquering arm, — their kings, nobles,
princes, and lords, — their orators and statesmen, beneath the
blast .of thy breath have found one common grave.

The dignity of age, — the playful innocence of youth, or
the charms of beauty cannot save from thy cruel grasp, —
thou hast swallowed up the nations as water, and thou art
an hungered still, — thou hast drunk rivers of blood, and
hast bathed in oceans of tears, and thy thirst is still raging
with unabating fury. Whither, ah ! whither shall I turn
for comfort ? in what secret chamber shall I hide myself to
elude thy swift pursuit ? If I would heap up gold as dust I
cannot bribe thee. If I would fortify my habitation with
the munitions of rocks, thine arrows would pierce them as the
spider's web, and find their way to my heart. If I would
soar on high as the eagle, or fly to the most secret haunts of
the desert, or hide myself in the gloomy thicket with the
solitary bird of night; or retire with the bat, to the
inmost recesses of the cavern, yet thy footsteps would pur-
sue me, and thy vigilence would search me out. No argu-
ments of the wise — no talents of the eloquent can prevail
with thee. The tears of the widow, the cries of the father-
less; or the broken-hearted anguish of the lover cannot
move thee to pity : thou mockest at the groans and tears of
humanity, thou scornest the pure affections of love and ten-
derness ; and thou delightest to tear asunder the silken cords
of conjugal affection, and all the tender ties of love and
endearment which twine around the virtuous heart, and
which serve to cement society, and to administer joy and
happiness in every department of life. What mighty power
shall check thy grand career, and set bounds o'er which thou
canst not pass ? Whose mighty voice shall command, saying
" thus far, no father shalt thou go, and here let thy proud
waves be stayed ?" What almighty conqueror shall lead thee
captive — shall burst thy chains — throw open the doors of
i'liy gloomy cells, and set the unnumbered millions of thy
prisoners free ? — who shall bind up the broken-hearted —
comfort the mourners, — dry the tears of sorrow — open the
prison to them that are bound — set the captives free — make
an end of sin and oppression — bring in everlasting righteous-
ness — swallow up death in victory — restore creation to its
primitive beauty, glory, excellence, and perfection ; " and
destroy him who has the power of death, that is the devil,
and deliver those who through fear of death were all their
lifetime subject to bondage ?" but hark —

12

On the plains of Judea methinks I hear
The melting strains of the lonely shepherd's
Midnight song, as it echoes among the hills
And vales, and dies away in the distance.

Its heavenly melody betokens
A theme of joy such as the sons of earth
Have seldom heard, — some heavenly theme, as if
The choirs of angels — mingling their music
With the sons of earth, conspired to celebrate
Some new event — some jubilee of rest —
Some grand release from servitude and woe.

But see — ah see ! the opening heavens around
Them shine ; a glorious train of angels bright,
Ascending, fill the air : — it is indeed
A more than mortal theme. But hark again —
e Methinks I understand the words, — they
Celebrate the birth of king Messiah,
The mighty prince who soon shall conquer death
With all his legions, and reign triumphant
Over all, as king of kings, and lord of lords.
Their chorus ends with peace on earth, good will
To men. O, monster, death, I now behold
Thy conqueror ! Jesus of Nazareth —
The babe of Bethlehem — the son of God.
He comes to earth, and takes upon him flesh and blood, —
even the seed of Abraham ; and this for the express purpose
of conquering sin and death, and restoring a lost and fallen
world to its former perfection that it may be capable of
eternal life and happiness.

" As in Adam all die even so in Christ shall all be made
alive." Now let the reader endeavour in particular to
understand the precise object of the mission of Jesus Christ
into our world ; and what was to be accomplished by his
death and resurrection. We have already endeavoured to
show the effect of Adam's transgression in a physical aa
well as moral point of view ; we have seen that sin materally
effected the earth itself, as well as all its animal and veggca-,
ble productions. Now the object of a Saviour to bleed and
die as a sacrifice and attonement for sin, was not only to re-
deem man in a moral sense, from his lost and fallen state,
but it was also to restore the physical world from all the ef-
fects of the fall ; to purify the elements ; and to present the
earth in spotless purity before the throne of God, clothed iq
celestial glory, as a fit inheritance for the ransomed throng
who are destined to inherit it in eternity. If the question
be asked for what Christ died ? the answer is, first, he died

13

for all Adam's race. Secondly, for all the auimal and vege-
table productions of the earth, as far as they were affected
by the fall of man. The lion, the wolf ; the leopard and the
bear ; and even the serpent, will finally feel and enjoy the
effects of this great restoration, precisely in the same degree
in which they were affected by the fall. Thirdly, Christ
died for the earth itself, to redeem it from all the effects of
the fall, that it might be cleansed from sin and have eternal
life. Now this atonement which was made by Jesus Christ
was universal, so far as it relates to the effects of Adam's
transgression : and this without any conditions on the part of
the creature. All that was lost, or in the least affected by
the fall of man, will finally be restored by Jesus Christ, —
the whole creation will be delivered from its dreadful curse,
and all mankind redeemed from death, and all the dreadful ,
effects of the transgression of their first parents ; and this -
without any conditions of faith and repentance ; or any acfc-
on the part of the creature ; for precisely what is lost in 1
Adam's transgression without our agency, is restored by
Jesus Christ without our agency. Thus all will be raised"
from the dead, and the body and the spirit will be reunited ; "
the whole will become immortal, no more to be separated, or
to undergo dissolution. This salvation being universal, I am '
a universalist in this respect, — this salvation being a universal "
restoration from the fall, I am a restorationer, — this salva-
tion being without works, or without any conditions except
the atonement of Jesus Christ, I am in this respect a believ-
er in free grace alone, without works ; this salvation, redeem-
ing all infants from original sin, without any change of.
heart, new birth, or baptism, and the infant, not being capable
of actual transgression, and needing no salvation from any ■
personal sin, is therefore in a state of salvation, and not of
depravity ; and therefore of such is the kingdom of God : -
and in their infancy they need no ordinances, or gospel to
savethcni, for they are already saved through the atone-
ment, therefore the gospel and its ordinances are only for
those who have come to years of understanding. But while on
the subject of redemption, I must not pass without noticing
another and very different part of the subject, viz — After
all men are redeemed from the fall and raised from the dead,
their spirits and bodies being reunited and the whole becom-
ing eternal no more to see, corruption, they are to be judged
according to their own individual deeds done in the body ;
not according to Adam's trangression ; nor according to
sovereign, unconditional grace". Here ends, universalism ;
here ends Calvinism ; here ends salvation without works —

B

14

here is introduced the necessity of a salvation from actual

sin, from individual transgression, from which no man can

be redeemed short of the blood of Jesus Christ applied to
each individual transgressor ; and which can only be applied
on the conditions of faith, repentance, and obedience to the
gospel. Now all who neglect to fulfil the conditions of the
gospel, will be condemned at the judgment day, not for
Adam's fall, but for their own sins. But as our subject is
more particularly confined to the salvation and durability of
the physical world, the renovation and regeneration of matter,
and the restoration of the elements, to a state of eternal and
unchangeable purity, we must leave the further prosecution
of these often contested points of theology to be pursued in
their usual channel, and come directly to the merits of the
oreat subject which we have undertaken. Let us now ex-
amine, more closely the physical structure and properties of
the resurrected, immortal body ; endeavour to ascertain in
ppsitive, definite terms, whether it does really consist of flesh
and bones, — of matter as well as spirit : and if so, endea-
vour to learn something of its place of residence or final
destiny. Christ being the first fruits from the dead, and the
only person whose history after their resurrection has come
down to us ; and he being the great head and pattern of the
resurrection, we shall endeavour to ascertain all the particu-
lars which will serve to throw light on the subject, as to the
physical nature of his body, both before and after he arose
from the dead. His mother was a virgin, a chosen vessel of
the Lord, who conceived by the power of the Holy Ghost
and brought forth a child, who was composed of flesh and
blood ; and in his physical organization differing nothing in
any respect from other children of the seed of Abraham.
Like other children in their infant state, he no doubt received
his nourishment from the breasts of his mother ; like all
others, he was helpless and dependent for care and protection
on his parents, who by the command of God fled into Egyj
in order to preserve him from the cruel sword of Herod,
who feared a rival in the person of the babe of Bethlehem :
like all others he grew in stature by means of the food re-
ceived into the stomach, and its strength diffused through
the physical system ; and when grown to manhood his sys-
tem was composed of the same earthly particles, or the same
elements which constitute the human system in general.
He was every way subject to the infirmities^ passions, plea-
sures, pains, griefs, sorrows and temptations which are
common to the constitution of man ; hence we find him sor-
rowing, weeping, mourning, rejoicing, lamenting, grieving,

15

as well as suffering hunger, thirst, fatigue, temptation, &c,
and we also find him possessed of the most refined sensibili-
ties of natural affection, and susceptibilities for close and
intimate friendship. • This is abundantly illustrated in his
close and intimate friendship with Lazarus of Bethany, and
his kind-hearted and benevolent sisters, Martha and Mary.
He wept with the tears of fond affection over the grave of his
departed friend Lazarus, and mingled his tears with the sor-
rowful and disconsolate sisters, as if to sympathize with them
and help to bear their grief, insomuch that the Jews exclaim-
ed, " behold how he loved him." Another striking example
of this natural affection is illustrated in his close intimacy
with his beloved disciple John. This apostle was his most
intimate friend who leaned on his breast at supper ; and who
was employed to ask questions on subjects in which the
others felt a delicacy : he is frequently called " that disciple
whom Jesus loved. Now we must think that Jesus loved
them all as disciples and followers of the Lamb ; but as to
natural affection John was his peculiar favorite ; to him he
committed his sorrowing and disconsolate mother, as he was
about to expire on the cross, and from that time, Mary, the
mother of Jesus, became a member of John's family. He
took her home to his own house. Jesus having taken af-
fectionate leave of his sorrowing friends, at length yielded
up the ghost, and his disembodied spirit took its rest in
Paradise ; while his lifeless corpse was carefully wrapped in
linen and laid in a sepulchre ; but for fear of some imposi-
tion being practised by his disconsolate and sorrowing disci-
ples, the door of the sepulchre was secured with a great
stone, and sealed with the initials of kingly authority, besides
a strong guard of Roman soldiers who watched around the
door by day and by night. But early on the morning of
the third day, an angel descended, at the glory of whose
presence the soldiers fell back as dead men. The seal was
broken, the great stone rolled away, the door of the sepul-
chre was opened, and his body re-animated by the returning
spirit, awoke from its slumbers and came forth in triumph
from the mansions of the dead. Now when his friends and
disciples came to the sepulchre and found not his body but
saw his grave clothes lying useless, they were troubled, sup-
posing that he had been moved to some other place ; but
the angel of the Lord said unto them : " He is not here, but
is risen," and called them to come and see the place where
he had lain. Now let us bear in mind, that it was the same
corporeal system, — the same flesh and bones, which had
yielded up the ghost on the cross, and which had been wrap-
c 2

16

ped in linen and laid in the tomb, that now came forth from
the dead, to die no more. Now in order to assist his disci-
ples in understanding this subject, that they might know the
difference between disembodied spirits and resurrected bodies,
he not only eat and drank with them, but called upon them
to handle him and see ; for said he, " A spirit hath not flesh
and bones as ye see me have." On another occasion, he ex-
hibited his wounded side and hands, and called upon Thomas
to put his finger into the prints of the nails, and to thrust
his hand into his side, where once the spear had pierced ; and
finally, after being seen of them forty days, he led them
out as far as Bethany, and there he was taken up into
heaven from their presence, and a cloud received him out of
their sight.

Now let us inquire, what was the physical difference be-
tween the mortal body of Jesus Christ and his resurrected
body ? They are both the same flesh, the same bones, the
same joints, the same sinews, the same skin, the same hair,
the same likeness, or physical features, and the. same ele-
ment, or matter ; but the former was quickened by the prin-
ciples of the natural life, which was the blood, and the latter
is quickened solely by the spirit', and not by blood, and there-
fore is not subject unto death, but lives forevermore. With
this glorious body he ascended to the Father, and with this
glorious body he will come again to earth to reign with his
people. This view of the resurrection is clearly exemplified
in the persons of Enoch and Elijah, who never tasted death,
but were changed instantaneously from mortal to immortal,
and were caught up into the heavens, both body and spirit.*
This change upon their physical systems was equivalent to
death and the resurrection. It was the same as if they had
slept in the grave for thousands of years, and then been
raised and restored to eternal life. When Elijah, for in-
stance, was taken into the chariot of fire, and carried from
the presence of Elisha, he did not drop his body, but only
his mantle ; for if he had dropped his body, the sons of .\b-'. .
prophets would have attended to his burial, instead of rang-
ing the mountains in search of him. This same subject is
made equally plain in the writings of Job, who declares,
saying, " I know that my Redeemer lives, and that he will
stand in the latter day upon earth : and though after my
skin worms destroy this body, yet in my flesh shall I see
God." The Jewish prophets also understood this matter in
its clearest light. Isaiah declares, " Thy dead men shall
live, — together with my dead body shall they arise." Daniel
speaks plainly of the awaking of them that sleep in the dust.

17

kiel illustrates the subject very clearly in his vision of

dry bones. (See Ezekiel xxxvii.) He not only mentions

4r being raised from, the dead, but the bones, the sinews,

3 flesh, the skin, and the spirit by which they will be re-

iniated, are all brought to view in a clear, plain, and posi-

e manner. The writings of the apostles abound with

•ar elucidations of the physical nature of the resurrection :

• on this one point depended the whole foundation of the

ristian system. Hence Paul argues, that if there is no

urrection, then Christ is not risen ; and if Christ be not

en, then their preaching was vain ; and their faith and

f was vain ; they were yet in their sins, and the apostles

re false witnesses ; and they were of all men most misera-

c But there is one view which Paul takes of the subject

at will serve to carry out our present theory, in a most

nclusive manner. It is this : in opening to his disciples

e mysteries of the second advent of the Messiah, and^the

*eat restitution of all things spoken by the prophets, he de-

ires, that the saints would not all sleep, (in death) but that

ey which were alive and remained until the coming of

irist, should be changed in a moment, in the twinkling of

eye, and be caught up to meet the Lord in the air, and

should be forever with him. Here, then, is demonstra-

>n, that tens of thousands of the saints — indeed all the

ints who live at a certain period of time will be translated

'ter the pattern of Enoch and Elijah, and their spirits and

'odies never be separated by death! Such, then, is the

^surrection ; and such the lively views which inspired the

rophets, apostles, and saints of former times, and having

his hope they could with propriety say, " O death, where is

vy sting; O grave, where is thy victory ?" O, the deep-

ooted blindness of early tradition and superstition, how art

iou interwoven with all our powers of intellect ! and how

iftst thuu benumbed and blunted every faculty of our under,-

'andingi From early youth the principles have been in-

•illed into our minds that all must die and moulder to cor-

jption — that Enoch and Elijah were the only persons who

vere, or ever would be translated without seeing death ;

vhen, in fact, tens of thousands, as I said before, are yet to

vrive by faith to this inconceivable fullness and consumma-

ion of eternal life and happiness without tasting death, and

vithout even a momentary separation of soul and body ; the

transition from mortality to immortality being instantaneous.

And yet, strange as it may seem, none will ever attain to

this blessing except such as firmly believe in and expect it,

for, like all other blessings,.it is only to be obtained bv faith.

18

and prayer. 15 ut how shall we believe in, and seek for a
blessing of which we have no idea ? or how shall we believe
in that which we have not heard, and how shall we hear
without a teacher ?

From all these considerations it appears evident that these
principles must necessarily be revived so as to become a con-
spicuous part of modern theology. They must be taught to
the people, and the people must believe them ; insomuch that
every saint on earth will be looking for the great day of the
Lord, and expecting to be caught up to meet him in the air ;
for if the great day of the Lord should come at a time when
these principles were neither taught nor believed, surely
there would be none prepared for translation : consequently
there would be no saints to be caught up to meet the Lord
in the air ; and if so, the words of the Lord by Paul would
become of none effect. I have made the above remarks in
order to impress deeply upon the minds of our modern
preachers and learners the importance of arousing from the
slumber of ages on this subject, and of ceasing to teach and
impress upon the youthful mind the gloomy thoughts of
death, and the melancholy forebodings of a long slumber in
the grave, in order to inspire them with solemn fear and
dread, and thus move them to the duties of religion and
morality. Experience has proved, in innumerable instances,
that this course is insufficient to restrain vice, and to lead to
the practice of virtue and religion. The wayward and buoy-
ant spirits of youth feel weighed down and oppressed, when
oft reminded of such gloomy and melancholy subjects. All
the more cheerful faculties of the soul are thus paralyzed, or .
more or less obstructed in their operations ; the fine-toned
energies of the mind cease to act with their accustomed "
vigour, the charms of nature seem clothed in mourning and
sackcloth. We conceive a distaste for the duties as well as
the enjoyments of -life. Courage, fortitude, ambition, and
all the stimulants which move man to act well hi.s part in
human society, are impaired and weakened in their opera-
tions, and the mind, thus soured and sickened, finds itself
sinking under deep melancholy and settled gloom, which
soon becomes insupportable. He at length sinks in despair,
— becomes insane, or groans under various diseases brought
upon his physical system by the anguish of his mind ; or,
with a desperate effort, tears himself from friends and society,
and from all the social duties and enjoyments of life, to lead '
a life of solitude within the walls of a convent, or in the
gloomy caverns of the monk. But more frequently the
youthful mind when labouring under these gloomy impre 1 ;-

19

sions, makes a desperate effort to free itself from its dreadful
burthen, by plunging into all the allurements of vice and
dissipation ; endeavouring by these means to drive from them
the memory of all these gloomy impressions, and to lose sight
of, or cease to realize, the sure and certain approach of death.

Let us then cease to give lessons on death and the grave
to the rising generation, and confine ourselves more exclu-
sively to the proclamation of eternal life. What a glorious
field of intelligence now lies before us, yet but partially ex-
plored. What a boundless expanse for contemplation and
reflection now opens to our astonished vision. What an in-
tellectual banquet spreads itself invitingly to our appetite,
calling into lively exercise every power and faculty of the
mind, and giving full scope to all the great and ennobling
passions of the soul. Love, joy, hope, ambition, faith, and
all the virtuous principles of the human mind may here ex-
pand and grow, and flourish, unchecked by any painful
emotions or gloomy fears. Here the youthful mind may
expand its utmost energies, and revel, uncontrolled by re-
morse, unchecked by time or decay, in the never-fading
sweets of eternity, and bask for ever in the boundless ocean
of delight.

This course of instruction followed out in demonstration
of the spirit and of power, would serve to check the allure-
ments of vice, and would greatly tend to lead and encourage
the mind in the practice of virtue and religion, and would
cheer and stimulate the saint in all the laborious duties of
life. It would remove the fear and dread of death. It
would bind up the broken-hearted, and administer consola-
tion to the afflicted. It would enable man to endure with
patience and fortitude all the multiplied afflictions, misfor-
tunes and ills to which they are subject in this momentary
life. It would almost banish the baneful effects of fear and
gloom, and melancholy from the earth, and thus give new
tone 3nd energy to all the various departments of society.
"The long night of darkness and superstition is now far spent.
The truth, revived in its primitive simplicity and purity, like
the day star of the horizon, lights up the dawn of that efful-
gent morn when the knowledge of God will cover the earth
as the waters cover the sea. With what propriety, then,
may the rising generation look forward with a well-grounded
hope, that they or their children may be of that unspeakably
happy number, who will live to be caught up to meet the
Lord in the air, and like Enoch and Elijah, escape the pangs
of dissolution, and the long imprisonment of the grave. Or,
with still more certainty, they may hope that if they sleep in

the dust, it will only be of short duration, and then they will
rise again to enjoy the pleasures of life for evermore. Pa-
rents, do you love your children ? Does it grieve you to see
their lifeless bodies laid in the tomb, and shut, as it were,
forever from your society? Children, have you ever
been called to bid farewell to your beloved and venerable
parents, and to grieve with heart-broken anguish, as their
bodies were deposited in the cold and silent grave, and you
left as orphans upon the dreary world? Husbands and wives,
do you love your companions, and often wish that you both
might live in the body for ever, and enjoy each others society,
without undergoing a painful separation by the monster,
death ? Be careful, then, to secure a part in the first, resur-
rection, that you and your friends may live and reign with
Christ on earth a thousand years.

O thou broken-hearted and disconsolate widow, thou hast
been called to part with the bosom friend of thy youth, and
to see thy beloved shut from thy presence in the dreary man-
sions of the dead. Have you ever been comforted with the
reflection that the tomb will burst asunder in the morning of
the resurrection — that these once active limbs, now cold in
death — these bones and joints, and "sinews, with the flesh
and'skin will come forth, and be again quickened with the
spirit of life and motion ; and that this cold and silent bosom
will again beat with the most animated and happy sensations
of puredove and kindred affection ?

V . Pareftts and children, husbands and wives,- brothers and
sisters, have these thoughts sunk deep into yoitr hearts in
the hour of sorrow, and served to comfort, to soothe and
support your sinking spirits in the hour of keenest distress ?
or have you imagined to yourselves some spiritual existence
beyond the bounds of time and space ; some shadow without
substance, some fairy world of spirits bright, far from earth
your native home ; and at a distance from all the associa-
tions, affections and endearments which are inters oven ;v'i\Y
your very existence here ; and in which were mingled all the"
sweets of life ? No wonder, then, that such should cling to
life, and shrink from death with terror and dismay ; no won-
der that such should feel insupportable and overwhelming
grief at the loss of friends ; for who can bear the thoughts
of eternal separation from those lovely scenes with which
they have been accustomed to associate from early infancy ?
Who can endure to be torn from those they love dearer than
life,' and to have all the tender cords of affection which twine
around the heart with mutual endearment, severed and des- .
troyed for ever.

Let us then endeavour to inspire the minds of those who are
placed under our care and instruction, with a firm faith in
and lively sense of this the most important of all subjects,
the resurrection of the body, and eternal life ; and thus en-
courage them with the greatest of all inducements to lead a
life of righteousness, such as will secure to them a part in
the first resurrection, and a happy immortality in the society
and friendship *of the ransomed throng who are arrayed in
spotless white, and who reign on earth with the blessed Re-
deemer.

Having now shown clearly that the resurrection of the
body is a complete restoration and reorganization of the
physical system of man ; and that the elements of which his
body is composed are eternal in their duration ; and that
they form the tabernacle — the everlasting habitation of that
spirit which animated them in this life ; and that the spirits
and bodies of men are of equal importance and destined to
form an eternal and inseperable union with each other ; we
must now return to our research, as to the final destiny of
the earth and its productions of animal and vegetable life.

"We have already shown that the earth itself, and all its
productions were deeply affected by the fall, and by the sins
of the children of men : that the atonement which was
made by Jesus Christ was not only for man, but also for the
earth and all the fulness thereof : and all things were re-
deemed'from the fall, and would finally be restored from all
the dreadful effects thereof; and be regenerated, sanctified
and renewed after the pattern, and in the likeness and image
of its first creation ; partaking of the same beauty, glocy
excellency and perfection it had in the beginning. But it is
evident that- this restitution did not take place at the first
advent of the Messiah ; and that it has not taken place at
any time since : therefore it is yet future, and must be ful-
filled at a certain time which is appointed by infinite wisdom.
This certoi t ' ime is called in holy writ, " the times of resti-
tutiou of all things which God hath spoken by the mouth of
all his holy prophets since the world began." Now this
restitution is to be accomplished' by nothing short of a
second advent of the Messiah. He must again descend from
heaven to earth in like manner as he ascended. This second
advent of Messiah, and the grand events connected with it,
is a theme which all the prophets and apostles have dwelt' on
more fully in their- writings than they have on any other
subject whatever.' If I would quote proofs on this Subject,
I might begin with- Enoch the seventh from Adam, who ex-
claims, " Behold the Lord cometh with ten thousand of his

22

saints," &c, and end with the revelation of Jesus Christ to
his servant John, " Behold ! he cometh with clouds, and
every eye shall see him ; and they also which pierced him,
and all the kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him."
This glorious advent of the Messiah was the comfort of Job
in his extreme affliction ; he could lift up his sorrowful eyes
from the midst of sackcloth and ashes, and exclaim " I know
that my Redeemer liveth, and that he will stand at the latter
day upon the earth ; and though after my skin, worms de-
stroy this body, yet in my flesh shall I see God," &c. This
was the solace of Daniel in his captivity. He could exclaim,
" I saw in the night, visions, and behold, one like the son of
man came with the clouds of heaven," &c. This same
theme often inspired Isaiah, and David, with ecstasy of ad-
miration and delight, and caused them to pour forth their
sweetest strains, — their sublimest effusions of poetic inspira-
tion ; and this same subject seems interwoven with almost
every page of the New Testament writings. Indeed it
formed a kind of centre, or rallying point, around which
hovered all the hopes, joys, anticipations and comforts of the
former day saints. In bonds or imprisonments, in persecu-
tions and afflictions, in tortures or in flames ; they could
look forward to the coming of the Lord in joyful anticipa-
tion of a resurrection and reward.

It is this glorfous advent of the Messiah, and the great
restitution connected with it which has ever formed the hope
of the Jews ; on :this one point hangs the destiny of that
long dispersed nation, in their final restoration to the favour
of God, and to the land of their fathers, and to their
beloved city Jerusalem. ,

This advent is what Paul had allusion to in his writings
to the Romans when he said, " As it is written there shall
come out of Zion a deliverer, who shall turn away ungodli-
ness from Jacob." This second advent, is what Peter meant
when he said to the Jews, (see Acts iii.) " And he shall send
Jesus Christ, which before was preached unto you, whom
the heavens must receive until the times of restitution," &c,
It seems evident then, that Jesus Christ is to come again at
the times of restitution ; at which time a trump shall sound,
at the voice of which the graves of the saints will be opened,
and they arise from the dead, and are taught up to gather
with those who are alive and remain/ to meet the Lord in
the air. ^S5£&* J L

In the mean time the earth will be terrifcly;.convulsed ; the
mountains will sink, the valleys ' rise, f 'ihef rough places
become smooth ; while a fire will pass over-'f$e-surface of

23

the earth, and consume the proud and all that do wickedly,
as the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah were destroyed in the
days of Abraham : and thus after the earth is cleansed by
fire, from all its wicked inhabitants, as it once was by water,
and after its mighty convulsions have restored it to its former
shape and surface, it becomes a fit residence for Jesus Christ
and his saints. The Jews behold their long — long expected
Messiah, and come to the knowledge that he is that Jesus
whom their fathers crucified ; they are cleansed from their
sins through his most precious blood ; then- holy city Jeru-
salem becomes a place of holiness indeed, and a seat of
government ; where will be the tabernacle and throne of
Messiah ; and where the nations of them that are saved will
resort from year to year, from all the adjoining countries to
worship the king, the Lord of hosts ; and to keep the feast
of tabernacles : and thus, there will be one Lord, and his
name one ; and he will be king over all the earth. " Bles-
sed are the meek for they shall inherit the earth." This
promise made by the Saviour while on the mount, will then
be fulfilled. (See also, xxxvii Psalm; and also Ezekiel
xxx vii.)

The curses which came upon the earth by reason of sin
will then be taken off. It will no longer bring forth thorns
and thistles, but its productions will be as they were before
the fall. The barren deserts will become fruitful, the
thirsty land will abound with springs of water, men will
then plant gardens and eat the fruit of them, they will plant
vineyards and drink the wine of them, they will build houses
and cities, and inhabit them, and the Lord's elect will long
enjoy the work of their hands. All the earth will then be
at rest under one sovereign. Swords will then be beaten
into ploughshares, and spears into pruning hooks, and the
nations shall learn war no more. The very beasts of prey
will then lose their thirst for blood, and their enmity will
cease. The lion will eat herbs instead of preying upon flesh,
dL*&i f l all the animal creation will become perfectly harmless as
they were in the beginning, while perfect peace will cover
the earth, as the waters cover the sea ; while all the ancient
prophets, apostles, saints and martyrs with all our friends
who have fallen asleep in Jesus will be on earth, with their
glorified, immortal bodies, to sing the song of victory, and
to praise the great Messiah who reigns in the midst of his
people. O reader, this is the first resurrection ! " Blessed
and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection."

O reader, this is the great sabbath of creation ; the thou-
sand years of rest and peace ; the long expected Millennium.

24

Wouldst thou live in the flesh, and have part in it ? wouldst
thou again enjoy the society of thy friends who were so near
and dear to thy heart in this life ? wouldst thou inherit the
earth, and be free for ever from the grave ? Remember —
remember, that meekness and holiness of life are the con-
ditions. That it is the meek only who then inherit the
earth. That it is the saints only who then possess the king-
dom, and the greatness of the kingdom under the whole
heaven. In this delightful sabbath of creation, earth and
its inhabitants will rest one thousand years from all the pains,
and woes, and sorrows they have undergone during six
thousand years of labour, toil and suffering.

After this thousand years is ended, the last resurrection
will soon come, together with the judgment day. These
grand events will be ushered in by the sounding of the last
trump, which will call forth the wicked from their long con-
finement in the grave, and they will be judged according to
their works, and will then depart from the presence of the
Lord to the place appointed for them. At that time the
heavens and earth will undergo their last and final change.
They die, and rise again from the dead ; or, in other words,
the elements are changed from their temporal to their eternal
state ; being renewed, purified, and brought to the highest
state of perfection and refinement which it is possible for
them to receive.

„ The earth being thus renewed and purified, is no more to
be changed or shaken. It will then roll its eternal rounds
amidst the unnumbered systems of the universe ; being
clothed with celestial glory, and inhabited by immoi'tal and
celestial beings who were redeemed from sin and raised
from the dead by the blood of Jesus Christ and the power
of his resurrection, and who are clothed in white raiment
with crowns upon their heads in glory ; being kings and
priests unto God and to the Lamb with whom they i s -non
earth for ever and ever ; for there will be the holy city, New
Jerusalem, the place of his throne ; and his tabernacle v/uT
be with man, and he will dwell with them and be their God ;
and he will wipe away all tears from their eyes, and there
will be no more death, neither sorrow nor groaning ; neither
shall there be any more pain, for the old order of things will
have passed away and all things will have become new.

Reader, wouldst thou leave thy native earth, and soar
away to worlds on high, and be at rest ? thou mayest do so
until the great restitution of all things spoken by the pro-
phets ; for Christ and the saints have gone to worlds on high,
and have entered in before thee. But remember, that in

25

the worlds on high thy stay is short. Jesus and the saints
are only there to await the full time for earth to be cleansed
and prepared for their reception, and they will all come
home again to their native planet ; and even while they are
in heaven and absent from the earth, they look forward with
joyful anticipation to the time of their return to the place
of their nativity. The joyful theme of reigning on the earth
inspires the music of their heavenly song ; for proof of
this the reader is referred to Rev. v. 9, 10, he there records
a song which he heard sung by the hosts of heaven, which
closes with the following words, " We shall reign on the
earth."

If man would enjoy a heaven beyond the bounds of space
peopled only by spirits : if he would desire to be for ever
free from the earth, and absent from the body of his flesh,
and from his native planet, he will be under the necessity of
embracing the doctrines of the Alcoran, or some of the
fables of the heathen mytholgy, where, in the boundless
fields of fancy, or amid the romantic wilds of imagination
and fanaticism, the mind roams unchecked by reason, and
loses itself from all the realities of rational existence ; in a
land of shadows, a world of phantoms, from which it will
only awake in disappointment by the sound of the last trump,
and at last find itself constrained to acknowledge that eter-
nity as well as time, is occupied in realities, and by beings of
a physical as well as spiritual existence for the inspired
writers, one and all have agreed, that the earth is destined for
the eternal inheritance of the saints. The sacred volume
opens with a paradise on earth, and closes with a paradise on
earth. Moses introduces us to a world of beauty, glory, •
excellency and perfection in the beginning. And John doses
the volume by leaving man in possession of an eternal habi-
tation in his immortal body, in the holy city ; and upon the
very planet that first gave him being : and this is the end of
y* matter.

Liverpool: James and Woodburn, Printers, 14, Hanover Street.

V